Scranton man charged in string of bar and restaurant break-ins
Jan. 24—A 51-year-old Scranton man burglarized several bars and restaurants in the city in 2021 and 2022, the police said Tuesday.
Matthew Husted, of 317 15th Ave., is charged with 10 counts of burglary for a string of break-ins aimed at stealing money from gaming machines, police said. He is also charged with 10 counts of criminal trespass, 10 counts of criminal mischief, nine counts of theft and nine counts of receiving stolen property.
Surveillance cameras captured Husted maskless during several burglaries and he was identified by others as the man photographed, according to a criminal complaint filed by Detectives Michael Schultz, Ed McIntyre and Todd Spinosi.
Husted selected restaurants and bars that had gaming machines and were close to where he lived, the police said. He also has a distinct gait which is the same as the burglar, they added.
Husted moved to Florida at the beginning of 2022 and the burglaries stopped. He recently returned and is believed to have burglarized Villa Maria II restaurant on Dec. 24, the police said. He broke into the restaurant at 1610 Washburn St. once before on July 22, 2021, police said.
He is also accused of breaking into the 606 Club, 606 Alder St., on March 2, 2021, and July 24, 2021; the Lounge, 1024 Jackson St., on March 2, 2021, and April 17, 2021; the American Ukrainian Veterans Association, 237 Railroad Ave., on April 10, 2021; the Fraternal Order of Eagles 314 Auxiliary, 314 Meridian Ave., on April 12, 2021; McGinty's Bar, 1557 Dickson Ave., on July 17, 2021; and the Minooka American Legion Post 568, 2929 Birney Ave., on July 26, 2021.
In the burglaries, the detectives said their suspect operated early in the morning — usually around 5 a.m. — forced open doors with a crowbar or another similar tool, went for gaming machines to pry them open and remove the cash boxes inside. He targeted the same locations multiple times and wore the same type of clothing and shoes.
"It appears to be the same suspect in each burglary," the investigators wrote in an affidavit.
In total, the police believe he stole more than $2,000 in cash in the break-ins though there was no way of telling how much money was missing in some cases.
They received a tip that their suspect's name was Husted and they did a background search on him. His address, they learned, was a short walk from Villa Maria II and the Lounge. He had been arrested for Aug. 7, 2021, and investigators reviewed body camera footage from that incident. He wore shoes similar to those worn in burglaries and had a hairstyle consistent with the way the suspect looked.
Husted's former employer, who was not identified in charging documents, looked at a photo from video footage recovered from a burglary when he did not wear a mask and confirmed the man in the photo was Husted, the police said.
Husted was released on $20,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled Feb. 7.
Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9100, x5187; @jkohutTT on Twitter.
